'King Reef' sunk off Exmouth to bring in big fish

An enormous articial reef has been sunk in WA's iconic Exmouth Gulf to help attract more fish to the area — all so anglers can catch them.

Spreading across two acres on the ocean floor and just ten minutes from local boat ramps, 'King Reef' was constructed using a mix of steel and concrete sections.

The $1-million dollar King Reef was named in honour of marine surveyor Lieutenant Phillip Parker King, who named Exmouth Gulf in 1818; and the late George King, a pioneer of charter fishing in Exmouth and Coral Bay in the 1960s and 1970s.

The King Reef is made from steel modules.Credit:Recfishwest

Recfishwest's CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said the reef will create a safer place for local and visiting anglers to fish at.

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“After many years working on bringing this vision to life, the local community and project partners are thrilled to see Exmouth’s new purpose built fish habitat structures settled on the barren, sandy sea floor of the Exmouth Gulf,” Dr Rowland said.

“With over 27,000m3 of new habitat being introduced, the reef will quickly become home to a range of different fish species as well as food sources and a colonising organisms such algae, coral and sponges enhancing ocean biodiversity and fishing experiences for generations to come."

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Partly funded through the State Government's Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund, WA's fisheries minister Dave Kewlly said the new reef is good for the environment and for the locals.

"Exmouth now joins Mandurah, Bunbury and Dunsborough as the fourth regional town to benefit from an artificial reef, with Esperance on the South Coast next in line later this year.

"Artificial reefs are proven to provide great opportunities to local communities, and the Exmouth reef is designed to give families in small boats access to safe fishing in sheltered waters.

"The Exmouth reef is a unique design with six stabilised steel fish towers and 49 concrete structures creating a diverse marine ecosystem, which will attract a range of species that will either explore the new reef or make it a permanent home."